100 Photo: AIDA Cruises INTERVIEW Delivering bigger and bolder projects David McCarthy of SMS Marine Interiors discusses the outfitter’s transformational refurbishments, financial success and industry recognition with Richard Humphreys The past couple of years has marked a period of successful projects and great expansion for SMS Marine Interiors. As of April 2026, the SMS Group had a turnover of just shy of £40 million ($54.4 million), with projects completed by the marine interiors division accounting for around one-third of that total. However, the turnkey outfitter hasn’t just achieved financial success; it has received industry recognition too. At the 2025 edition of Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe, SMS Marine Interiors won the ‘Best Refurbished Space’ award for its work in the French Kiss, East Fusion and Tokyo Bar areas onboard AIDA Cruises’ three Sphinx-class ships: AIDAdiva, AIDAluna and AIDAbella. The project was carried out as part of the AIDA Cruises Evolution 1 initiative and involved the reimagining of an existing buffet restaurant, reconfiguring the HVAC, fire prevention systems, lighting and installing new catering units. Over 535 square metres of intricate tiled flooring was installed along with new fixtures and fixings, on all three ships. SMS Marine Interiors worked with a host of partners and skilled manufacturers from throughout the UK, Europe and Estonia, during the project, and worked in several other areas, the Ocean Club (formerly Anytime) and the Hype Arcade. “AIDAdiva was a bit of an outlier, as there was a long lead time,” says David McCarthy, operations director at SMS Marine Interiors. “But AIDAluna and AIDAbella were in very close proximity to one another with the festive period in between, so we had to contend with supply chain, logistics and manpower “ Completing the same projects across three ships required a high degree of planning” Photo: SMS Marine Interiors
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